(136)   Tue 29 Oct 91  6:15
By: Rob Stampfli
To: All
Re: Re: Radio Station DJs Making Dubious Calls
St:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@PTH 1:340/201.0@Fidonet
From: colnet!res@cis.ohio-state.edu (Rob Stampfli)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Radio Station DJs Making Dubious Calls
Organization: TELECOM Digest

> The morning clowns on this area's top-rated rock station used to call
> some unsuspecting local person every day, falsely identify themselves
> and give the callee a hard time about something, hoping for humorous
> reactions.

> [Moderator's Note: About 30+ years ago, station WLS in Chicago had a
> DJ by the name of Dick Biondi. He let some profanity go out over the
> air and the FCC ordered the station to go off the air about ten
> minutes later. They remained off the air for several hours, apparently
> while their attorney argued with the FCC about it. And it was fairly
> mild as those things go today.  Times and attitudes change.  PAT]

As I read this, the thought came to me that, wouldn't it be delightful
if someone were to call the offending station after one of these
episodes, demand to speak to the manager or chief engineer, and --
pretending to be the Engineer-In-Charge from the nearest FCC field
office -- quote chapter and verse from the Part-whatever broadcast
rules about notifying people prior to putting them on the air, allege
that a complaint was filed, slap them with a fine, and order them off
the air until they waded through some excessively complex amount of
government red-tape, etc.  And, if they didn't buy that ruse, the
caller could then claim to be from a competitor station, proclaiming
that it was all a humorous joke and "You're live on the air with me
right now -- tell us, how do *you* feel?"

I dunno, somehow I have my doubts that the station management would
find the same degree of humor in the situation with the rolls
reversed.


Rob Stampfli, 614-864-9377, res@kd8wk.uucp (osu-cis!kd8wk!res), kd8wk@n8jyv.oh


[Moderator's Note: For obvious reasons, I cannot recommend or allow
the suggestion to appear unchallenged that one impersonate a federal
official over the telephone. That is another whole can of worms.  PAT]